DraftKings NBA Picks for January 12

There are only five NBA games for our DraftKings tournaments tonight, and this is one without Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Which secondary stars will shine? Let’s take a look at recent trends and find out.

Don’t forget to follow @fantasycpr on Twitter for lineup updates as we get them leading to the tipoffs of the games! I am not always able to get back in here and fix my picks when someone sits for the night, but we will update it on Twitter.

Point Guards

Best Bets:

Stephen Curry ($8,800): Curry’s production has trended upward lately, but its easy to lose track of him with Westbrook and Harden around. Tonight Curry takes center stage against a solid Detroit defense, but Curry put up 44.75 DraftKings points on them in the first meeting and has averaged 53 DraftKings points over his last four games. He may be lightly used because of the Detroit factor, but Curry is on a roll right now since he is playing more minutes due to the Warriors playing close games.

Eric Bledsoe ($7,100): Dallas looks like another tough matchup on paper, but Bledsoe racked up 38 DraftKings points on the Mavs in the first meeting. Bledsoe has eclipsed 5x value in six straight games. It’s an easy decision when he is playing this well.

Honorable Mention:

Jrue Holiday ($7,000): Holiday has spent the last three games on the wrong side of 5x, but he has a great matchup against the Nets tonight. He had a streak of three straight games on the right side of 5x right before that. Holiday looks like a likely pick to get back to 5x against the Nets, who will be without Jeremy Lin once again.

Reggie Jackson ($6,900): Curry’s defense has picked up along with his offense lately, so Jackson is a little more of a risk than usual. His numbers are down in the first two games of this west coast trip, so I wouldn’t expect him in the 40’s like he was before, but I still think he gets 5x value against the Warriors.

Dark Horses:

Deron Williams ($5,600): Williams is not an elite option, but he is largely forgotten in fantasy circles, especially in DFS. Williams put up 33.5 DraftKings points against Phoenix six days ago. He should be an easy 5x value tonight at this price.

Tony Parker ($4,700): Parker is no longer in the ranks of the elite point guards in the league. He usually wont play more than 25 minutes a night either. That said, Parker still has seven games of over 5x value in his last eight outings. He put up 29.5 DraftKings points in his first game against the Lakers, so he is a safe pick again, though his upside is limited.

Spencer Dinwiddie ($3,500): Jeremy Lin has already been ruled out, which means another start for Dinwiddie. He has over 20 DraftKings points in every game he has started this year, so Dinwiddie is a cheap shot at 7x value here.

My pick: Bledsoe(PG), Dinwiddie(G); Parker(PG), Dinwiddie(G)

Shooting Guards

Best Bets:

Dwyane Wade ($6,800): With Jimmy Butler out the last two games, Wade has piled up 75.5 DraftKings points. Butler has already been ruled out for Thursday, and who can blame the Bulls? No sense wasting him on the Knicks. That leaves Wade out there to pick up the slack, which he has done so far.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($5,900): While Jackson has struggled some on the trip west, KCP has not. He has 76.75 DraftKings points over the last two games, and has another favorable matchup with Golden State on the docket. KCP put up 36.75 DraftKings points on the Warriors the first time around. While he may not play 40 minutes again, he should reach 5x value at this price.

Honorable Mention:

Buddy Hield ($4,700): The rookie has finally found his shooting stroke, and he is doing a lot of other things as well. Hield is 22-39 from downtown in the last seven games. He has a solid matchup against Brooklyn tonight. With him shooting the way he is, 5x value looks imminent.

Lou Williams ($3,900): The stock on Williams and Jordan Clarkson is falling with Nick Young and D’Angelo Russell hogging the minutes. Russell injured his hand in practice yesterday, and is questionable to play tonight. If he sits, Williams and Clarkson both get a big value boost. I give Williams the slight edge because the Lakers will need his scoring and Clarkson will still come off the bench no matter what.

Dark Horses:

Courtney Lee ($3,800): Lee doesn’t offer much fantasy wise, but he put up 26 DraftKings points on the Bulls in their first meeting. With Jimmy Butler out, the Bulls also take a little bit of a hit on the defensive end of the floor. Lee should have no issues hitting 5x value.

Danny Green ($3,700): It has been a disappointing season for Green, but he has been over 20 DraftKings points in each of the last three games, so he may finally get getting something going. He scored 26.5 DraftKings points in the first matchup against the Lakers, so he looks like a nice value play tonight.

My pick: Wade(SG); Wade(SG)

Small Forwards

Best Bets:

Kevin Durant ($9,700): There aren’t a lot of stars on this slate to begin with, and with Butler sitting again, Durant will likely be the most highly owned. KD has 45 or more DraftKings points in ten of the last 12 games, and has a tasty matchup with Detroit. Durant racked up 46 DraftKings points against Detroit in the first meeting, which leaves him right around 5x value if he can do it again.

Kawhi Leonard ($8,600): The Lakers are good against small forwards, but Kawhi isn’t your average small forward. He put up 53.5 DraftKings points on them in the first meeting. Leonard was on fire with LaMarcus Aldridge out on Tuesday. LMA is back tonight, so don’t expect another huge night from Leonard. He is still a good bet for 5x value though.

Honorable Mention:

Harrison Barnes ($6,700): Barnes has six straight games of 5x value, though he has only topped 40 DraftKings points once in that span. He has become a remarkably consistent player, which makes him nice to own in cash games. He put up 33.5 DraftKings points – exactly 5x value – six days ago against the Suns. He could do it again.

Tobias Harris ($6,300): Harris has averaged 32.7 DraftKings points over the last ten games. He has also been between 31 and 33 DraftKings points in each of his last five. He has been a consistent contributor whether he starts or comes off the bench. He put up 36.5 DraftKings points in the first meeting with the Warriors. Look for him to be in the low 30’s yet again.

Dark Horses:

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ($3,700): His offensive game is still unrefined, but RHJ has been consistent on defense. Consistent enough to hang between 15 and 20 DraftKings points every game. He is nothing flashy and has very little upside, but he should get you value for cheap.

Denzel Valentine ($3,300): Doug McDermott was given first crack at replacing Butler on Tuesday, but he was miserable from the field. Valentine picked up the slack, racking up 30.5 DraftKings points against a solid Wizards team. Valentine could have a great night again tonight even if McDermott gets first crack. His shot has been off for about a week now.

My Pick: Durant(SF), Barnes(F), Valentine(UTIL); Leonard(SF), Harris(F), Valentine(UTIL)

Power Forwards

Best Bets:

Anthony Davis ($11,800): Davis is still listed as questionable after bruising his hip in a 73.5 DraftKings point outburst on Monday night. A.D. says he will play. The Pelicans are a bit less optimistic. I can say this though. If Davis is in there, he will be highly owned against a Nets team that is dreadful against power forwards even at full strength. They may be without Trevor Booker again tonight.

Draymond Green ($7,600): If Davis sits, Green becomes the next best thing. We all know what Draymond brings to the table. He does a little bit of everything, which makes him a DFS darling. His chances of being a bust are slim even though he barely reaches double digits in points. Despite Detroit doing well on the interior, Green picked up 41 DraftKings points in the first meeting with the Pistons.

Honorable Mention:

Kristaps Porzingis ($7,200): Porzingis has gone cold over the last two games, but the Bulls provide a nice matchup for him. Especially with the lineup shuffling going on in the absence of Jimmy Butler. Porzingis picked up 36.75 DraftKings points against Chicago the first time around, but if he continues to struggle, Kyle O’Quinn could continue to steal minutes. Porzingis is a risky pick, but we all know what he is capable of.

LaMarcus Aldridge ($7,100): Aldridge missed Monday’s game because he was sick, but he is a green light tonight since he is not even on the injury report. He should be well rested for the Lakers, who allowed 43 DraftKings points to him in the first tilt between these teams. Aldridge has been on fire lately. He has destroyed 5x value in seven of his last eight games. Look for more of the same tonight.

Dark Horses:

Dirk Nowitzki ($5,800): Dirk turned back the clock to 2007 against Minnesota on Monday, blasting them for 40.75 DraftKings points. It was easily his best game of the year. He also played over 30 minutes for the second straight game. His minutes will still remain limited around 30, but he put up 29.25 DraftKings points on Phoenix six days ago in 28 minutes. Dirk looks like a good bet for at least 5x value.

Bobby Portis ($3,000): Portis had the best game of his young career on Tuesday night with half the team sick. Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic remain out tonight, so Portis should be the primary backup to Taj Gibson. Gibson struggled against the Knicks the first time around. Portis didn’t play. Against Washington on Tuesday, he had 24.75 DraftKings points. Portis has the potential to be a huge value again tonight.

My pick: Aldridge(C), Nowitzki(PF), Davis(PF)

Center

Best Bets:

Brook Lopez ($6,400): Lopez has performed well with Trevor Booker out. He has 68 DraftKings points over his last two games. The Pelicans are a wreck at the center position, so Lopez should be in the 30’s again. It’s a light night at center, but you can drop Draymond or A.D. down here if you like power forwards more.

Tyson Chandler ($4,900): Yes, Dallas is the best team defensively against centers. I get that. Six days ago Chandler put up 30 DraftKings points on Dallas. He has been over 30 DraftKings points in his last three games. I see Chandler having another productive night relative to his price, and he may not be highly owned.

Honorable Mention:

Joakim Noah ($4,600): Minutes have been harder to come by for Noah lately, but he could see decent run against his former team. Noah put up 39.25 DraftKings points on Chicago the first time around. With the Bulls sick and/or beat up, Noah could have a nice night again.

Donatas Motiejunas ($4,300): The signing of Motiejunas has helped the Pelicans in the interior. He has strictly played center thus far, but if Anthony Davis sits, Motiejunas should see more run. He has 41.75 DraftKings points in his first two games as a Pelican. That would put him right about at 5x value.

Dark Horse:

Alex Len ($3,600): Well, Len fared well against Dallas as well. He put up 23.75 DraftKings points in that game, which marked his third game of over 20 DraftKings points. Then he played just six minutes against Cleveland on Sunday. Len’s playing time is sporadic, which makes him a big risk, but Phoenix will likely need to use him against a huge Dallas interior.

Zaza Pachulia ($3,400): Pachulia has quietly racked up 19.6 DraftKings points per game over his last six contests. That doesn’t seem like much, but it is 5x value when Pachulia is this cheap.

My pick: N/A; Chandler(C)

Stay tuned for our FanDuel picks, our DFS NHL picks, and plenty of NFL advice heading into your weekend. We will also have the College Football Championship game prediction coming, against the spread of course!